Memories of a Lifetime Together
by Miss Romance-Lover
Summary: A collection of memories made throughout the lives of Troy and Gabriella, chapter by chapter. Please read and review! Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or any of it's characters.
1. Only You

**This is my first feature length HSM story, after starting out with a couple of one-shots. Each chapter will feature a different memorable event in the lives of Troy and Gabriella over the years. Please review and let me know whether you like it! :)**

Memories of a Lifetime Together

Gabriella Montez sighed anxiously, as she sat awaiting her final exam results at Stanford University. Just as she was about to start pacing the floor, her boyfriend of just over five years , Troy Bolton, came running up to her. "Did you get them yet?" He asked before she even had the chance greet him. "Not yet. Still waiting," she told him. "Hi." Troy smiled at her as he replied, "Hi. Don't be so nervous, knowing you, you've aced everything!"

"How can I not be nervous, Troy? These results will determine what I do for the rest of my life. If I don't get into law school, the past three years will have been a waste." Gabriella had just completed her Pre-Law studies, and had spent the last month waiting to find out if she had done enough to go on to pursue a Law degree. "Gabs, there is no way that's going to happen. You've worked really hard here. It's time to start believing in yourself" Troy said firmly. At that moment, a lady from the administration office walked over to a nearby table, carrying a large box filled with white envelopes. Other students had begun to arrive, and now, Gabriella made her way to the table, clasping Troy's hand tightly. She found her name and, after a moment's hesitation, ripped open her envelope.

There was a minute of silence as the young brunette scanned the slip of paper, her eyes searching for the result she longed to see. Then, she let out a joyful gasp. "I did it! Oh my gosh, Troy, I did it!" she squealed in delight. "What did I tell you? I'm so proud of you, Gabi!" her boyfriend exclaimed, lifting her up and spinning her around. Gabriella let out a giggle, realising that they were drawing attention to themselves, in the middle of the University, in front of all of her fellow students. But for once, she didn't care.

Troy put her down and grinned. He had just graduated from Berkeley himself, having studied theatre and sports which had enabled him to keep playing basketball regularly. After three years he was still no closer to choosing between his two passions; so he now divided his time between coaching a kids' basketball team twice a week, and helping out at his local theatre, where he sometimes got the chance to perform.

Now, Troy looked on proudly as his girlfriend talked animatedly with some friends. He had known for some time that Gabriella was the one he wanted to spend his life with. And he had spent the last few weeks preparing to ask her a very special question, which he planned to do during a romantic dinner on her birthday, which was coming up. "Troy!" he was pulled from thoughts of his plans as Gabriella, having said her goodbyes to her friends, returned to his side. "Hey, let's celebrate. How about a walk along the beach?" he asked her. _Why did I say that? _He thought. _I was supposed to take somewhere out of the ordinary, not the beach where we go all the time! _She looked somewhat confused herself. She had to wonder how a walk on the beach could be construed as a celebration, but decided to agree anyway. "Okay, sure." After a short drive, the couple arrived at their favourite beach in all of California. It had become their new private place after they had moved from Albuquerque.

Strolling along the sand arm in arm, Troy began to feel that he could wait no longer with his proposal. _Oh no. _He thought. _Don't do this now, man. You don't have the ring, you've already planned the whole thing out..._ However, his subconscious was too late with the warning and as soon as Troy looked into Gabriella's dark brown eyes, he knew he was going to do it, right there and then.

"Gabi?" he blurted out. "Yeah?" she said curiously, recognising the determined look on his face. "Uh, okay, I was going to wait until your birthday to do this, but..." he babbled, gently taking her hand. "Gabriella, I have known for a very long time that it is you I want to be with for the rest of my life. It is you I want to have children with. And it is you, and only you, who I want to grow old with. I don't actually have your ring yet because asking you this here and now wasn't really part of my plan, but..." Troy looked her straight in the eye. "I love you more than you will ever know. Will you marry me?"

Gabriella didn't hesitate. Through her tears, which had been falling uncontrollably throughout his speech, she jumped into Troy's arms, repeating "yes" over and over again. She pulled back after a minute, looking into his eyes as she ran a hand through his hair. Troy leaned in and softly brushed his lips with hers, and she kissed him back, letting him hold her. And there they stayed, holding each other in the middle of their favourite beach, until the sun began to set, and the future Mrs Bolton began to fall asleep.


	2. Wedding Surprise

**Thank you for the responses I got requesting that I continue with this story. Here is the second chapter, and the next memory. Enjoy! **

Troy glanced at his appearance in the mirror, a grin on his face as he thought of the surprise he had organised for today. It was the day of his wedding to Gabriella, and he wasn't the slightest bit nervous. Why should he be? He was marrying the love of his life, after all. He looked at his watch, and worked out that his pre-wedding present for his bride would probably be arriving at her mother's house, where she was staying, right about now. Her mother still lived in Albuquerque, and now that Gabriella had completed law school, the couple had moved back there too.

Gabriella adjusted her veil, smiling to herself. She, too, wasn't nervous at all. She knew she had no reason to be. _I'm marrying the love of my life! _she thought, walking downstairs as she heard her mother's doorbell ring. Everybody had mysteriously disappeared from the lounge, so she had no choice but to answer the door herself, in her full wedding outfit. She opened the door and her jaw just about dropped. Standing in front of her were her grandparents (her late father's parents) who lived in Spain. They had responded to the wedding invitation months ago, regretfully telling Gabriella that they could not afford to fly out to be there. Which was why she was so stunned to see them. "Oh my gosh! Nanna, Grandpa, I can't believe you're here! But, how?"

"Well, young Troy called us when we explained about our money situation. And bless him, he offered to pay for our flight over. He wanted it to be a surprise," her grandmother explained, hugging Gabriella tightly. "Oh my, sweetie, don't you look beautiful. Your father would have been so proud of you." The young bride went to give her grandfather a hug. "Thank you. I wish Dad were here to give me away. I can't believe Troy did this, it means so much to have you both here."

The thoughtful gesture on the part of her soon-to-be husband brought a tear to her eye. But Gabriella quickly remembered her make up, which had just been applied, and soon regained her composure. Her mother appeared behind her, grinning at the sight of her daughter's happiness. "Hello, Sandra, Peter" Maria greeted her in-laws. "Mom, you knew?" Gabriella asked her, simply receiving a secretive smile in return. Before they could discuss it any further, the doorbell rang again. It was Taylor, who, having kept in touch with Troy and Gabriella, was the maid of honour. Her own high school boyfriend, Chad, who was now her husband, was Troy's best man. Having heard all the commotion in the lounge, Gabriella's maternal grandmother, cousins and aunt filed downstairs to fuss over the now blushing bride.

"Hey Tay!" she called to her friend in excitement. They had both been so busy that it had been a few weeks since they had seen each other, at Gabriella's bachelorette party. "Gabi! You look gorgeous! How do you feel?" Taylor asked. "I feel great! Everyone's here that should be, and I'm marrying the most thoughtful man in the world" Gabriella replied, explaining the wonderful surprise she had received minutes earlier. After some final preparations, everyone was ready to leave as the wedding cars arrived. Across town, at the apartment Troy shared with Gabriella, the groom and his parents, grandparents, best man, and a few other relatives were also ready to leave for the hotel at which the wedding was to be held.

Half an hour later, Troy waited at the end of the aisle as his bride appeared on the arm of her grandfather, walking towards him. She was beaming, her eyes locked on his. As Gabriella arrived at his side, she mouthed "thank you," knowing Troy would understand the reference; before he took her hand, and they stood ready to recite their vows to each other.

After the ceremony, the wedding party relocated to a large hall in the hotel, ready to celebrate. The speeches were to be done first, and Gabriella decided to be unconventional, and make one of her own. She stood up, tapping a glass to get the full attention of her guests. Troy looked up at his new wife in surprise.

"I know its not traditional for the bride to make a speech but, I do have something I want to say. First of all, thank you for coming today. But there are two guests who wouldn't have been here to see this if it weren't for my new husband." She looked down at Troy and smiled lovingly. "Troy paid for my grandparents to fly over to see us get married, and I knew nothing about it until they arrived this morning. I just wanted him to know how much I appreciate what he did for me, and that he made this a day I will never forget," Gabriella again looked at her groom, and addressed him directly as their guests looked on. "I love you so much, Troy." With that, the newly-weds shared a kiss as she returned to her seat.

Then it was Gabriella's turn to be surprised, as Troy stood up, keeping hold of his wife's hand as he announced loudly, "and I love you, Mrs Bolton."


	3. My Gabriella

**Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing. I am aiming for about ten chapters altogether for this story. Anyway, here is chapter three. Slightly different than the last two, but don't worry, there is still plenty of Troyella cuteness! :)**

Waking up early one Saturday morning, Troy turned to see his wife sleeping beside him and sighed. He had been worried about her for the past few weeks. Gabriella had barely been able to eat, causing her to lose weight, and seemed to be constantly tired lately. She had been to the doctor, after Troy had insisted that she needed to get checked out. But all that was said was that she may be anaemic. Blood tests had come back clear, and after that the doctor didn't seem concerned. Yet it was evident that something wasn't right.

"Morning," sitting up, Gabriella kissed her husband of just over a year on the cheek. "Hey," he replied. "How are you feeling?" Troy reached up to caress her cheek, searching her face to judge for himself whether she looked any better. "Troy, I'm fine. Please stop worrying," she told him. But he knew her too well, and could see in her eyes that things were not fine. Nevertheless, the couple got up and made plans to meet Chad and Taylor for lunch.

Gabriella was just doing the first of the day's laundry, while Troy finished his breakfast, when she began to feel faint. She reached a hand out to the kitchen counter to steady herself, "Troy..." she called before losing her grip and falling to the floor.

"Gabi! Oh my god..." Troy ran to her, picking her up and laying her on the couch. Gabriella was now unconscious, and he knelt down to watch her as he frantically dialled the emergency services, asking for an ambulance as soon as possible. As he waited, she came to, and managed to whisper, "Troy..." He stroked her hair and shushed her, "It's going to be okay, baby. Please stay awake for me, okay?" he told her, but she fell unconscious once again.

Pacing the hall of the emergency room at the hospital, Troy was growing more and more anxious by the minute. Then, a doctor appeared in front of him. "Mr Bolton?" Troy nodded. "We believe your wife fell into a diabetic coma, although can't confirm this until the test results come back." He was baffled. How had this been missed by their doctor? But he couldn't think about that now. All he could think about was his Gabriella. "Is she awake? Can I see her?" he asked hurriedly. The doctor gave him a small smile as she replied, "Of course. She woke up not too long ago. She's been asking for you."

Entering the small hospital room, Troy was relieved to see his wife look up and smile at him. "Troy. I'm sorry, I scared you didn't I?" she asked, seeing how pale he was. "Hey, it's not your fault. But..." he tried to hold back the tears as he took Gabriella's hand and kissed it, holding it to his mouth for one long minute. "I thought I was going to lose you..." He wrapped his arms around her, just holding her. They both let the tears fall, as the realisation of what could have happened dawned on them. Minutes later, the doctor arrived.

"Am I okay to come in?" she asked, noticing the couple still embracing. Troy gave her a smile and gestured for her to enter the room. "Yes, come in." She took a seat and faced them, holding some paperwork. "Well, I have your test results right here. Mrs Bolton, your tests confirmed that you have type two Diabetes. You have a high glucose level in your blood, and this means that your body isn't making enough insulin."

Troy and Gabriella were struggling to take it all in. But Gabriella was the first to find her voice, "So, what do we do about it?" she asked the doctor. "In your case it is quite severe, so you will need to inject yourself with insulin everyday. You will also need to adjust your diet. This includes eating foods that are low in fat, sugar and salt, and foods that are high in fibre – so plenty of vegetables." The doctor handed them a leaflet. "I know it seems daunting right now, and it's hard to take in all this information at once. This leaflet will give you more details on the treatment and lifestyle changes. I'll leave you alone for a while, then I'll come back to talk you through the injections." Troy thanked her, before she left the room.

Gabriella turned to Troy. "Diabetes. I guess it could have been worse. I don't know how I'm going to inject myself everyday though, I've always hated needles." He clasped her hand and replied, "I'll be there to help you. I'll even help you with the injections if that'll make it easier. I know it's going to be hard, but we can get through this." She smiled up at him, "thank you."

Troy simply kissed her on the forehead, letting her cuddle into him. The image of his Gabriella, lying motionless on the floor, would stay with him forever. He had never been so terrified. Now, he couldn't think of anything other than how thankful he was that she was still with him, and that her condition was manageable. He knew they were facing a new challenge, but he had no doubt that they could conquer it, together.


	4. Old Memories, New Beginnings

**Hey, me again :) Thank you for continuing to follow this story, I hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it! To anyone who has just found this story and has kept reading up to this point, please review! Here is chapter four.**

Gabriella Bolton sang happily to herself as she finished getting ready for the evening ahead. It was new year's eve, which also marked the tenth anniversary of her and Troy's first meeting. They had spent the whole day together, looking through photo albums and reminiscing about that first night, and laughing at memories from their high school days. Then Troy had surprised his wife with a romantic, home-cooked meal. The main surprise being that he could cook at all - Gabriella had always been the one who handled the kitchen. It seemed their old friend Zeke, who now worked as a chef in Los Angeles, had given him a few tips!

And now, the couple were awaiting some guests, having decided to hold a small party in celebration of a new year; and in honour of the night they first set eyes on each other. Checking her appearance in the mirror, Gabriella tried to push away a slight feeling of nausea. She had been feeling that way, on and off, for the last two days. She and Troy had been trying for a baby for the past few months, so at first she had thought that she may be pregnant. But the test she had taken the day before had been negative. She wasn't sure what the cause was, and her Diabetes was under control, so she intended to go to the doctor as soon as the holiday season was over. For now, she was determined to enjoy herself.

"You ready, Gabi?" Troy asked, entering their bedroom. She grinned and replied "I certainly am." She let her husband of nearly two years walk her downstairs, where they settled themselves in the lounge, ready for their first guest to arrive. Troy had been an incredible support to her since she had been diagnosed as diabetic. He had helped her stock up on the right foods, and to inject herself with the insulin she required – even injecting her himself until she managed to overcome her fear of needles. With him by her side, Gabriella was coping very well with her condition.

A mere two minutes after they had sat down, the doorbell rang. It was Chad and Taylor, who managed to chat and catch up with Troy and Gabriella in the space of five minutes, before the doorbell rang a second time. One by one more of their old classmates filed in, having managed to arrive all at the same time. This included Kelsi, Zeke, Jason, and Martha. Twenty minutes later, the party was in full swing, with both Troy's parents and Gabriella's mother having arrived, as well as a few of their work colleagues.

Although she was having a great time, Gabriella found herself feeling sick yet again, and quietly excused herself from a conversation she was having with Taylor and Kelsi. She headed upstairs to the bathroom, where luckily this time the wave of nausea passed. She still couldn't think of another explanation as to what was bringing this on. Instinctively, she found another pregnancy test from the bathroom cabinet – she had been keeping a few at the ready since she and Troy had starting trying to get pregnant.

Downstairs, after finishing a discussion with Chad and the other guys over the latest basketball game that had been on television, Troy looked up and realised that Gabriella had disappeared. Knowing that she had been a little under the weather lately, he headed upstairs to see if she was okay. But as he reached the top of the stairs, she came bursting out of the bathroom, with the biggest smile on her face. She was about to run downstairs to get her husband, when she realised he was already there, standing in front of her. "Gab? Are you okay?" Troy asked. Gabriella stood closer to him, holding up a small white stick. "Troy, look at this," she replied simply. He glanced at the object in front of him and did a double take. Then he let out a loud, deafening cheer. Gabriella giggled as he caught his breath. "Oh, Gabi! This is amazing!" he told her, covering her with kisses. "We're going to have a baby, Troy!" she squealed in delight.

"But hang on, what about the test you took yesterday?" he suddenly remembered. She shrugged, "I don't know, maybe we read the test wrong, or something. But that's why I've done two tests now to make sure." Troy grinned hearing this, and picked Gabriella up, lifting her right off the floor and spinning her around. She recalled him doing this before, just after she had got into law school – which was also the day that he had asked her to marry him.

After a few moments alone together, just basking in their happy news, Troy and Gabriella returned downstairs. They decided not to share the news of the pregnancy with their loved ones just yet. Instead, they joined their guests, and Troy decided to raise a toast. "I would just like to wish you all a happy new year," he announced. Then he glanced at his wife, and continued. "Ten years ago tonight, I was fortunate enough to meet the girl of my dreams when we were forced to sing karaoke together. And singing that night was one of the best things I have ever done." Gabriella smiled tearfully at Troy's beautiful words. "So, if you will, would you all raise your glasses and make a toast, to Gabriella. My amazing wife."

As everyone followed Troy's toast, he shared a secretive, knowing smile with Gabriella. They had shared so many wonderful times together over the past ten years, and were now about to embark on another journey together. And they could hardly wait.


	5. Terror

**The next two chapters will be set within the same time frame, and will be describing one memory in two parts...Enjoy! :)**

Gabriella Bolton was fed up. She was heavily pregnant, five days past her due date, and felt incapable of doing anything other than lounging around all day. Which seemed to suit her, as that was all her husband would allow her to do these days anyway.

On this particular day, Gabriella decided she had had enough. The doctor had given them a leaflet detailing various ways to induce labour, and the first thing on the list was 'a long walk'. "Troy! Come on, let's go for a walk. It says here that long walks can help speed along labour contractions." Troy looked over at his wife, about to protest. But when he saw the look on her face, which was one of stubborn defiance, he decided to give in. "Okay," he replied. "But let's not be too long, alright?" Gabriella nodded, and the couple got ready to leave. Troy went to find his shoes, and had only left her alone for half a minute when he heard her scream.

He darted back to the lounge to find Gabriella bent down on her knees, and holding onto the coffee table for support. He told himself to keep calm as she yelled, "Troy, the baby's coming!" He knelt down beside her, and gave her a kiss on the nose, rubbing her back. When the contraction had passed, Troy helped her up onto the couch. "I can see that. Guess we won't be needing that walk after all, huh?" he chuckled. Then he went to find Gabriella's overnight bag, which had been packed and ready for a month. Troy decided it would be quicker to drive them to the hospital rather than to wait for an ambulance, and after a ten minute drive, they arrived.

As a nurse at the reception helped Gabriella into a wheelchair, she turned to Troy. "Is there anything important we need to note down about your wife's medical history?" she asked. She knew that the couple's doctor wasn't at the hospital yet, and had already informed them that another doctor would be seeing to Gabriella in the meantime – one who wouldn't have time to read her medical notes, if the speed of her contractions were anything to go by. It seemed this baby was making up for its lateness by making an appearance as soon as possible!

"Yes – she's diabetic," Troy answered, squeezing Gabriella's hand as she felt another contraction hit her. The nurse took a note of this, and quickly took them to the maternity unit. Within half an hour, their usual doctor arrived and it was quickly determined that Gabriella needed to be taken to the delivery room there and then. The doctor had also become worried as her blood pressure seemed alarmingly high.

Troy felt a wave of terror after hearing the tone in the doctor's voice. _What does that mean? _He thought, trying not to let his wife see the fear in his face. "Troy? What's going on? I'm scared. You are staying with me aren't you?" she asked. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, "of course I am, I'm not going anywhere."

There had been some concern that the baby was in distress, but Gabriella did well, and Troy was relieved when it was announced that they had a healthy baby daughter. "Gabi, we have a little girl! I'm so proud of you," he told her while the nurses wrapped their baby in a blanket. She smiled weakly, but did not manage to reply. Her body suddenly went limp and she became unconscious.

"Gabi? Oh my god, what's happening?" Troy yelled as a nurse ushered him away. Seeing that he was in a state of shock, she told him that a nurse was going to take their little girl to the hospital nursery. Their families had not arrived yet, and Troy would have argued to keep his new daughter with him, if his mind hadn't been so frozen with fear.

Minutes later, the doctor approached him. Troy noticed that he had a serious expression on his face and his heart dropped. "Mr Bolton, your wife has lost a lot of blood, and has suffered a haemorrhage. She is still unconscious, but we are trying to stabilise her. Her condition is very serious. I'm afraid all we can do is wait." The doctor offered him a small smile in compassion, before returning to his duties.

It was all Troy could do to keep himself from falling to the floor. He recalled how terrified he had been when Gabriella had collapsed a couple of years back, just before they discovered that she had Diabetes. The thought of losing her, his Gabriella, was more than he could bear. Preparing himself to re-enter the hospital room, Troy looked through the window at the love of his life and prayed. _Please_ _don't leave me..._


	6. Tears of Relief

**Sorry to have left you with a cliffhanger! Although I would have loved to have written about pure perfection, I wanted to show that there are always obstacles in life that even the strongest of couples have to face. Anyway – as ever, please review! :) Here's the next chapter...**

Troy had been sitting at Gabriella's bedside for about an hour when another nurse brought their newborn daughter to him. He had been sat silently, holding his wife's hand, wondering if she would ever wake up. The loss of blood had been concerning enough to warrant a blood transfusion. She was still unconscious, though stable for the time being. Troy knew that Gabriella would be desperate to see their baby if she..._when _she woke up. He let go of her hand for a moment while he settled the little bundle in his arms. Looking down at her, he saw that she had her mother's eyes.

She was just over an hour old, and he was transfixed with those eyes. They were an exact match - the first time he had met Gabriella, he had become lost in her eyes. While Troy, in a daze, continued gazing in amazement at their little girl, Gabriella's eyes opened. She managed to whisper, "Troy?" His head shot up and, hugging the tiny baby closer to him, he moved to sit beside her on the bed. "Gabi. I...I thought I was going to lose you..." he sobbed. He kissed her gently on her forehead as she closed her eyes. It was heartbreaking for her to see what her husband had been put through, and she began to sob too. They stayed like that for a minute, embracing in tears with their daughter between them.

Gabriella looked down and finally saw her daughter properly for the first time. Smiling, she told Troy, "our baby." He returned the smile and asked, "What shall we call her? She's still nameless, she's been waiting for her mommy to wake up." Gabriella looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "How about Lily? I saw it in the baby book a few days ago, and forgot to ask you if you liked it. I think she looks like a Lily."

"Lily Bolton," Troy grinned. "Perfect." At that moment, the couple noticed a group of people through the window. It was Gabriella's mother, along with Troy's parents, and Chad and Taylor. Troy had called their parents not long ago, and they had passed the message on to Chad and Taylor. They had all frantically made their way to the hospital, thinking the worst. So the relief they all felt when they saw that Gabriella was awake was enormous. The nurse decided to let them all in at once, given how serious the situation had been. Maria Montez dashed over to her daughter in tears. She couldn't believe she had almost lost her daughter. When everyone had calmed down, they were introduced to the new addition to the Bolton family.

Gabriella sat up, feeling strong enough to hold her daughter. The moment little Lily was placed in her arms, the surge of love she had felt when she had first seen her rushed back. It was then that she realised just how close she had come to leaving her daughter without a mother. The thought made her burst into tears. Troy put his arms around her and spoke softly, "hey hey hey, don't cry baby." Their visitors decided to leave the couple alone for a while, sensing that they needed some time alone.

"It's okay now, everything's going to be alright," Troy whispered as he held her. "You came back to me. And our little girl. Hold on to that thought, Gab." Gently rocking baby Lily back and forth, Gabriella looked up at her husband tearfully. "I know. I just...I felt a little overwhelmed for a minute there."

Troy knew the feeling. An hour ago, he feared he was losing his whole world. He took Lily from her and placed her in the little cot that had been left by the hospital bed. Then he returned to his spot on the bed, next to his wife. "I have never been so terrified," he told her, "in my whole life. I don't know what I would have done without you." Gabriella leaned into Troy. She could not find the words to respond. All she could do was be thankful that she was still here.

"I love you so much." The words had been said many times before, and would be said for many more times to come. But Troy needed to say them now more than ever. He stroked Gabriella's hair as she replied, choking back another sob.

"I love you too. More than you will ever know."


	7. A Special Gift

**Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed or added this story to their favourites :) Please keep reviewing, I love reading them! Here is chapter 7.**

Four year old Lily Bolton stuck out her tongue in concentration as her father lifted her up to put the star on top of the family Christmas tree. It was Christmas Eve, and all of the preparations were now complete. So Gabriella was now busying herself making Christmas cookies. Of course, she wasn't allowed to eat them because of her Diabetes, but she loved making them for Troy and little Lily anyway.

"Mommy's making cookies!" the little girl exclaimed, eyes sparkling as Troy set her down and examined the tree. Gabriella giggled at her daughter's excitement. "Yes I am. Now you can have one tonight, but the rest are for tomorrow, okay?" she said firmly. Before Lily had a chance to protest, Troy cut in playfully, "aww, no fair!" This made both Gabriella and their daughter giggle.

Once the cookies were ready, the family began to settle down for the night. The couple read their daughter a story; and then Troy told Lily, "time to leave out the mince pie for Santa!" He winked at his wife, who smiled at the childhood tradition. "Don't forget the carrot for Rudolph, Daddy!" the young girl reminded him matter of factly. Gabriella responded, "Silly Daddy, how could anyone forget poor Rudolph?" then she returned her husband's wink, a mischievous grin on her face. "Hey, what's with all the ganging up on Daddy, huh ladies?" Troy protested.

He went to help Lily prepare the snacks, leaving Gabriella smiling fondly. She had always loved Christmas, and this year would be no exception. In fact, it would be even better. She had a very special Christmas present to deliver tomorrow.

As expected, Troy and Gabriella were woken up at the crack of dawn by a very over-excited little girl. They had prepared a stocking full of little presents just from themselves in Lily's room, so these were opened first, and in record timing. The rest of the presents were to be saved until just before lunch, when Troy's parents and Gabriella's mother were due to arrive.

Gabriella began preparing the Christmas lunch, while Troy distracted their daughter from the sight of the rest of her presents by setting up one of her new toys – a karaoke machine. He even agreed to sing one song himself to keep her happy. Just as he finished belting out his own version of Grease's 'You're the One that I Want', Gabriella came into the lounge, having left everything under control in the kitchen for the time being. "Lily's got you wrapped around her little finger," she told Troy jokingly. "You do realise it's your turn to sing next, right?" he replied without a hint of humour in his voice.

"Oh no, I can't, I'm the cook, remember?" she shot back, trying not to smile. He chuckled, then left Lily to play with her other new toys while he led his wife over to the couch. "Okay, I'm going to give you one of your presents now," Troy said, handing Gabriella a small gift-wrapped box. "Open it." Inside she found a gold ring with a single diamond in the middle. It was engraved with the words _'Just like Kindergarten'_ which were spread out around the inside of the ring.

Gabriella spotted the familiar words and welled up. "Oh, Troy..." she whispered. She recalled how, in her first week at school (and shortly after meeting Troy) she had told Troy how singing with him had made her feel like being in kindergarten, because they had met and made an instant connection. Troy had later used those words to reassure Gabriella, when they were about to sing together in front of the whole school. When stage fright had almost got the better of her. _"Look at me, right at me. Like the first time we sang together, remember? Like kindergarten"_.

Troy slipped the ring on his wife's finger, and told her, "it's an eternity ring. Come New Year, it'll be fifteen years since our first meeting. This ring is to remind us that no matter how old we grow together, we will always be sixteen at heart." Gabriella replied, "it's gorgeous. Thank you, Wildcat, I love it. And it's been the best fifteen years of my life." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then decided it was time to reveal her own surprise.

"I have something special for you too. Only, you can't have it just yet." Troy looked confused, "why not?" he asked. Gabriella smiled coyly. "Well, it won't be ready for another eight and a half months." Troy's face went from confused, to stunned, to ecstatic in about thirty seconds flat. Then he attempted to talk. "Whaaaa?...You mean we, you mean I'm..."

Gabriella let out a bemused giggle. "That's right, you're going to be a daddy again!" Finally, Troy managed to form a coherent sentence. "This is amazing, Gabi! This is the best present I could have asked for. I love you." The couple shared a long, lingering kiss before Gabriella replied. "I love you too. Merry Christmas, Troy." 


	8. Another Challenge

**Well, this story only has three chapters left, including this one. When I have completed this, I may go back to another story I've been writing for the Sabrina the Teenage Witch fanfiction archives – so if you were a fan of the tv show back in the day - my story is called 'It's About Time'. Anyway, back to Troyella... Here is chapter eight, enjoy! (And please review!) :)**

Gabriella Bolton tried to relax, taking a deep breath. But she was far too anxious. "Gabi, calm down. Everything's going to be fine," said her husband of fifteen years. But Troy was worried himself. They were in the doctors' surgery, awaiting the results of some blood tests that their youngest child, eight year old Matthew, had undergone the week before. Lily, now thirteen, was still at school. But they had had to excuse Matthew from his classes for the day as this appointment was too important to miss.

Matthew had been feeling unwell for a few weeks. But things had got worse in the last week, and it was Gabriella who had picked up on his symptoms. He was losing weight, for one thing. He was also constantly tired and thirsty. His mother was familiar with all the signs of Diabetes, so she had insisted that they take Matthew to the doctor and ask for tests.

"I know," she smiled, not wanting to scare their son. "Mattie, why don't you go and play with some of the toys over there for a minute, okay?" The young boy promptly walked over to the toy box on the other side of the waiting room. Knowing he was now out of earshot, Gabriella continued, "I know there was always going to be a chance that one of our children might inherit Diabetes from me. But Lily hasn't got it, and Mattie seemed fine until the other week. I really thought we were going to be lucky. I just...I feel so guilty, Troy." She looked at the floor.

He took her face in his hands and gently brought her face up to look at him. "Baby, listen to me. This is not your fault. Remember what I told you back when you were diagnosed? We _will_ get through this, together." Gabriella covered Troy hands with her own. "Thank you," she whispered.

Seconds later, it was their turn to see the doctor. "Come on, Mattie, it's time to go in," Gabriella called to their son. Half a minute later, they were seated opposite their family doctor. His facial expression told them that it was the news they were expecting. "Mr and Mrs Bolton, the blood tests have confirmed that Matthew does have type two Diabetes." Troy gripped his wife's hand, silently reassuring her as they listened to the doctor go through their son's treatment protocol. Like his mother, Matthew would have to have insulin injections every day.

While for Gabriella, the injections had seemed like the worst part of having Diabetes; she knew that Matthew would find it more difficult adjusting to the drastic change in diet. Giving up sweets was going to be hard for him; needles, however, did not faze him in the slightest.

After the doctor had finished his explanation, and Troy and Gabriella had asked him a few questions, they took their son by the hand and headed home. By this point, he was aware that something was wrong and when they all arrived home, Matthew asked, "am I sick?" Troy looked at Gabriella, who nodded, then sat their son down on the couch.

"Well, you know how Mommy has to give herself special injections everyday?" Troy paused, and Matthew nodded. "They help to make her blood levels better, and you need to have the injections now too." Again, the little boy nodded, and replied, "Okay Daddy." Gabriella looked at her son and her heart swelled with pride at how brave he was being – it was a far cry from what her own reaction to the condition had been. She sat next to Matthew and took over explaining the situation to him.

"Mattie, the injections will make us better, but some foods can make us feel bad. So when I got sick, I had to stop eating sweets and other stuff that has sugar in it. And you're going to have to do that too. Do you understand?" He nodded a third time, and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you have any questions, sweetie?" Gabriella asked, growing concerned at her son's silence.

"Does Lily have what we have too?" he asked matter of factly. "No honey, it's just me and you that have this," Gabriella smiled at him. "But remember, whenever you have any questions or you're worried about it, you can always ask me. Okay?" Matthew responded by giving his mother a hug, and then asked his parents, "can I go and play?" They agreed, and he ran off to his room. The hardest part would come later, when they would have to show their son how to inject himself with insulin.

Troy took a seat next to his wife, who appeared deep in thought. "You okay, Gabi?" he asked, taking her hand. "Yeah. Just thinking about how brave our son is." Troy grinned and told her, "well, he takes after his father." This brought a smile to Gabriella's face, and another thought came to her.

They had been through so much together, as a couple and as a family. It had been hard, and she knew that there were more hard times to come. But she also held on to the many happy memories they had shared. And these memories would overrule the bad times.


	9. An Amazing Journey

**I would just like to repeat once again how much your feedback has been appreciated throughout this story's progress. Especially my now regular reviewers who have followed the story from the beginning! Chapter nine jumps ahead into a memory of Troyella in later life. Enjoy! :) **

Troy Bolton awoke on the morning of his wedding anniversary with an ever-contented smile on his face. He glanced at his wife, still sleeping soundly, and felt that she looked as beautiful as the day he married her. What he couldn't believe was that that day was fifty years ago today.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when Gabriella began to stir. She opened her eyes to find her husband watching her. A smile also graced her lips as she remembered what day it was. "Happy anniversary," she greeted Troy. His eyes lit up at the sight of his wife's smile, which never failed to mesmerise him.

Today the couple were going to celebrate in a very special way. They were going to renew their wedding vows at their local church, and it had been decided that the event would be a small, intimate ceremony. Therefore, Troy and Gabriella had only invited their son and daughter, along with their own families. Lily and Matthew were both happily married themselves. Lily had become a doctor, and she and her husband Michael had two daughters. Matthew and his wife Lucy had three children - two sons and a daughter. Matthew was a high school teacher. His Diabetes had never held him back with his ambitions, and he had coped extremely well with his condition; just as his mother had.

After the ceremony, there was to be a party held at Matthew and Lucy's house. Matthew had organised it himself, with help from Lily. Now the family arrived together at the church, to be greeted by the reverend, who had met them all the week before when he had visited Troy and Gabriella. The purpose of the visit had been to hear about the couple's life together in their fifty years of marriage. It was the reverend's job to mention these special memories during the renewal ceremony.

He welcomed the family, and then began. The couple smiled at each other fondly as the reverend relayed the details of their first meeting. "I'm told that Troy and Gabriella met at a ski resort on new year's eve, where they were paired together to sing karaoke. They later met a second time when they realised they attended the same school." Then he talked about how they had become engaged at their favourite beach, and about their wedding day when Troy had surprised Gabriella by flying her grandparents over to be there. He mentioned the births of their children, as well as the difficult times they had faced together, including Gabriella's diagnosis of Diabetes.

Next came the vow renewals. After repeating their original wedding vows, The couple each had something else they wanted to say to each other. It was Troy's turn first, and he looked Gabriella in the eye before he began to speak directly to her. Before long, they felt as though they were the only ones in the room. "Gabriella, do you remember what I said to you the day I asked you to marry me? I said I wanted to grow old with you." She nodded tearfully. "Well, here we are, fifty years later, and it's been an amazing journey. Every day I fall in love with you just a little bit more."

Gabriella mouthed "I love you," to Troy before taking her turn. "Troy. Meeting you was one of the best things that ever happened to me. The other things only happened because of you," she told him, thinking of their children. "It has been an incredible fifty years. But it has also been an amazing fifty-eight years that we have known and loved each other." Troy was now the one trying to hold back tears. As the ceremony came to an end, Lily and Matthew also found themselves with tears in their eyes as they watched their parents beaming at each other.

Everyone made their way outside the church, and Lucy, who was a skilled photographer, began to take some photos of the couple. As they posed, they thought of the wonderful memories they had made together. Of course, life hadn't always run smoothly, but they had overcome every challenge they had faced.

Troy took both of Gabriella's hands in his, and they turned to face each other as the camera flashed again. One of many happy moments between them which was now captured forever.

**Thanks for reading! One more chapter left...**


	10. Eternal Love

**Well, we are now at the end of this story. The final two chapters are particularly close to my heart, and were very meaningful to write. Thank you all for following, reading and reviewing! Here is the final chapter of _Memories of a Lifetime Together_. Enjoy! :)**

Gabriella Bolton tried to steady her breathing once again. But her feeble attempts to be brave were long forgotten as the chorus notes of their song began to fill the air. Quietly sobbing, she closed her eyes and mouthed the words to the music as family members and friends filed into the building to sit behind her. Matthew and some family friends entered, carrying a light brown coffin. Then he sat down to join his mother, who was seated next to Lily. The song faded as the service began, and Gabriella was able to hold herself together to listen to tributes of her husband's life. But when it was over, the curtains around the coffin slowly closed as again their song was played in the background. "Goodbye, Troy," she whispered before sobs took over her body once again.

With a jolt, Gabriella woke up. She dreamt of that day so often now. The day she had said goodbye to her soul mate. It had been ten years, and she missed him every day. Troy had passed away peacefully in hospital after a year long battle with cancer, aged seventy-six. The only thing she was thankful for was that she had been able to let him know just how much she loved him before he had left her; and he had told her the same. Gabriella had been by his side at the time, and had even stayed with him at the hospital for the last few days, holding his hand and talking to him. Troy hadn't wanted to leave her; she knew that.

Today was Troy's birthday, and Gabriella planned to make the journey to California – to return to her and Troy's favourite beach. The very same beach where he had proposed to her. She had decided that this was the place to scatter his ashes. Their son Matthew was going to drive, and with them would be his wife Lucy, as well as Lily and her husband Michael.

When the family finally arrived at their destination, Gabriella clutched the urn and began to make her way towards the shore. Everybody else stayed at the top of the beach, in order to give her a private moment alone. She had been determined to do this today, despite having felt under the weather for the past few weeks. Gabriella had not told Lily and Matthew this, knowing that they would have tried to postpone the trip in favour of their mother's health.

With the summer breeze blowing over her, Gabriella closed her eyes. Memories came to her as though they had only just been made. She could picture the ski resort where they had first set eyes on each other, and the sight of Troy, singing to her on her balcony. Visiting this beach, which they must have done at least a thousand times during their college years. And watching the sunset together after accepting his proposal. The sun was beginning to set now, just as she opened her eyes. The drive to California had, after all, taken most of the day.

Gabriella removed the lid of the urn and began to sprinkle half of Troy's ashes into the sea. Then she let the remainder float away in the breeze. As she watched, she was convinced she could hear Troy's voice in her head, clear as day. What she heard were words that they had repeated to each other often: "I love you more than you will ever know." She smiled and responded out loud, without a moment's hesitation, "me too, Wildcat. Me too."

Having completed the task she had travelled here to do, Gabriella walked back to her family. They headed to a hotel for the night, which had been booked in advance in anticipation of their evening arrival to California. She said goodnight to everyone and, once safely in her room, quickly settled down for the night. It didn't take her long to fall into a long, deep sleep. One where she was truly at peace.

Because in her dreams, Gabriella found herself reunited with Troy at last. There he was, waiting for her on their beach. They were both young again, and his blue eyes sparkled as he saw her. She was running, and he was smiling, his arms outstretched as he waited for her to reach him. And then, he caught her as she jumped into his arms. As they embraced, suddenly it felt as though they had never been apart. And now, they never would be again.

**And there you have it! Please review, I would love to know what you thought of this story as a whole :)**


End file.
